UNAIR lecturer named Vice President of IUHPE

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) faculty members continue to earn international recognition. Most recently, Dr. Sri Widati, S.Sos., M.Si., a lecturer at the Faculty of Public Health (FKM), was elected Vice President of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) South West Pacific Region. She secured the post through a competitive voting process conducted by a panel of evaluators from a pool of nominees.

IUHPE is a global organization focused on advancing public health and improving quality of life worldwide. It brings together representatives from 207 countries across several regional divisions. Indonesia is part of the South West Pacific Region, which includes 22 other member countries. “This role will span approximately three years, from December 2025 through November 2028. I am eager to use this opportunity to strengthen the global presence of Indonesia and UNAIR,” she said.

In her academic career, Dr. Widati, has been deeply engaged in health promotion initiatives through the PKIP Division (Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences) and the Airlangga Health Promotion Center (AHPC). She has also played an active role in IUHPE-related conferences, including hosting the IUHPE Executive Director at UNAIR’s Happy and Healthy Symposium. “IUHPE expressed strong appreciation for UNAIR’s tangible contributions to health promotion through AHPC. I had the chance to meet with IUHPE’s leadership and present UNAIR’s health promotion programs. That experience ultimately paved the way for my appointment,” she said.

In her new capacity, Dr. Widati plans to adapt and expand health promotion initiatives that have proven effective at UNAIR and across Indonesia to the broader South West Pacific Region. She cited UNAIR’s community service programs and RSKKA as concrete examples of how health promotion can be successfully implemented at the grassroots level. “My long-term vision is to connect all countries in this region through a shared network. This will be pursued through regional IUHPE conferences combined with UNAIR symposiums that align with IUHPE’s core values. Through these efforts, we aim to elevate UNAIR’s profile on the global stage,” she explained.

Beyond her regional role, Dr. Widati also aims to strengthen health promotion efforts domestically. She plans to collaborate with organizations and professional associations working in health promotion to expand initiatives at both national and international levels. “Let us work together to advance the South West Pacific Region, with Indonesia taking an active role. Through these collective efforts, we hope to build a society that is informed, motivated, and capable of improving and sustaining its own health,” she concluded.